OEM PC vs. DIY PC

[TechnicalInternal]

Good afternoon all,

 

I just was watching LTT on YouTube and this question came up in my head.

With all the chip shortages and Covid-19 and so on, the prices came up very fast.

I.e. the GPU's that are sometimes 2 to 3 times MSRP and often bought by BTC miners.

 

Isn't it cheaper and maybe even more available at the stores to buy a OEM PC, ready to use from the store?
Or does building your own PC is still, with the problems mentioned above, a better choice for people that want to buy a new computer?

 

I hope we can discuss this thought of the mind, over here.

Also, I do not know if this is the right category for my thought.
If it is not, can any mod or admin move it to the right category for me?

Thanks and greetings!

Tech.

[FRD]

I know for a fact that prebuilt PCs are usually sold at a premium, but once a nice deal is around you can play close to MSRP for the gpu. Usually prebuilts weren't interesting, but now they are with the gpu/chip shortage crisis. Normally prebuilts shouldn't be compared to DIY PCs as they prebuilts usually have cheaper components or unusual combinations. For example, they cheaped out on PSU or a single stick of 16GB RAM.

If you're in the market for a new PC, see around your country's PC market to see if the prebuilt PCs are worth it. For some people it's a good way to get their hands on a RTX 3000 card. On the other hand, some prebuilts really go for crazy prices as well, it all depends on the seller.

 

Personally I think, and people might agree with me, a DIY is always best. Mostly for the upgrade path, but also so you know what's inside your PC and know what to do once there's a problem. It's much easier than sending your whole PC to the manufacturer and having nothing to use for weeks/months in case anything goes bad.

[WereCat]

Really depends on what's available to you where you live.

Most shops where I live adjusted OEM prices of PC's to match the overpriced components.

 

For example a PC with RTX 3080 and R9 5900X goes for about 4000 to 5000 euro so you're not really saving anything by going with a prebuild.

[TechnicalInternal]

Okay, so if I would buy one living in the Netherlands.

What should be recommended on that market? OEM or DIY.

Lets say a 1,500 USD/EUR budget...